J.J. Abrams’ ‘Duster’ Adds Sofia Vassilieva & Dan Tracy As Recurring

Pat Saperstein Deputy Editor Ed Ames, a member of the Ames Brothers singing quartet who starred in TV series “Daniel Boone” in the 1960s, died Sunday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 95. Ed Ames and his brothers Vic, Joe and Gene had a hit with their version of “Rag Mop” in 1950. As a solo artist, he had hits with “Who Will Answer?,” “My Cup Runneth Over” and “Try to Remember.” In the 1950s, they had a syndicated TV program “The Ames Brothers Show” and had 49 songs that charted before they broke up in 1963. He then launched an acting career, which included off-Broadway performances in “The Crucible” and “The Fantasticks,” as well as a starring role on Broadway in “Carnival!” He starred with Kirk Douglas, Gene Wilder and William Daniels in the Broadway production of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.”

Michael Jordan is an avid car collector. The retired NBA superstar is known for his enjoyment of high-end vehicles, with his collection made up of super fast and custom-made cars.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Michelle Randolph and Jacob Lofland have joined Billy Bob Thornton in the upcoming Taylor Sheridan series “Land Man” at Paramount+, Variety has learned. In addition, Variety has learned exclusively that Ali Larter will star in the series as well. Per the official logline, the series “is set in the proverbial boomtowns of West Texas and is a modern day tale of fortune seeking in the world of oil rigs. The series is an upstairs/downstairs story of roughnecks and wildcat billionaires fueling a boom so big, it’s reshaping our climate, our economy and our geopolitics.” It is based on the podcast “Boomtown.” Randolph will star as Ainsley Norris, described as “the wild and strong-willed seventeen-year-old daughter of Tommy Norris (Thornton).” Lofland will play Cooper Norris, “Tommy’s son, who is new to the demanding work in the oil and gas fields of west Texas.” Larter will play Angela, Tommy’s ex-wife.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Vertical has secured North America, United Kingdom, and Ireland rights to “Natty Knocks,” a new horror film from Dwight H. Little, the director of “Halloween 4.” The film’s casts includes a collection of horror all-stars such as Bill Moseley (“The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2”), Danielle Harris (“Halloween”) and Robert Englund (“A Nightmare on Elm Street”). “Natty Knocks” unspools on Halloween Eve, as a small-town babysitter and the kids she is looking after struggle to survive a serial killer named Abner Honeywell. Vertical has slated the film for a day-and-date release on July 21. The screenplay was penned by Benjamin Olson. The cast also includes Charlotte Fountain-Jardim (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”), Thomas Robie (“Insidious: The Last Key”), Noen Perez (“Grace and Frankie”) and Jason James Richter (“Free Willy”). The film’s executive producers are Amit Sarin and Vineesha Arora Sarin; producers are Jason Richer and Sandy Little.

EXCLUSIVE: J.J. Abrams-exec produced drama series Duster has had its production suspended.

Owen Gleiberman Chief Film Critic In “Black Flies,” a movie that keeps working to get high on its own intensity, Sean Penn and Tye Sheridan play paramedics who spend their nights driving through hell (I mean, Brooklyn). There are countless shots of the two in their EMS van, riding along under the tracks of an overhead subway train — the exact kind of grungy Brooklyn boulevard that Popeye Doyle went smashing through in the famous “French Connection” car/subway chase. As Rut (Penn) and Cross (Sheridan) patrol the borough neighborhood of Brownsville, one of the poorest and most crime-ridden sections of New York City, those overheard tracks become part of the film’s meticulously oppressive visual design. The two have so little breathing room they can barely see the sky. After a while, though, you start to think: Don’t these guys everdrive down a side street? Like everything else in “Black Flies,” those subway tracks are stylish signifiers of doom that are a little too in-your-face.

Black Flies,” the Sean Penn and Tye Sheridan film about emergency medical first responders, smacked the Cannes Film Festival in the face with a brutal world premiere on Thursday. Splattered brains, dead dogs, an addict giving birth with a needle dangling from her arm — these and a litany of other horrors confronted Penn and Sheridan, who play veteran and rookie paramedics, respectively, at the New York Fire Department. Interestingly enough, the black-tie screening at the Grand Palais enjoyed the dose of reality, giving the film a five-minute standing ovation. “We carry the misery,” a weary Penn tells Sheridan in the film of their chosen profession. That’s an understatement, as chaos unfolds neighborhood by neighborhood in a portrait of an unforgiving city.

Angelique Jackson Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator” sequel has rounded out its cast with the additions of May Calamawy (“Moon Knight,” “Ramy”), Peter Mensah (“Avatar”) and Matt Lucas (“Wonka,” “Bridesmaids”), as well as legacy cast member Derek Jacobi, who will reprise his role from the 2000 blockbuster. “Kraven the Hunter” and “The White Lotus” star Fred Hechinger is now in talks to take on the role of Emperor Geta, after Oscar nominee Barry Keoghan dropped out of negotiations due to a scheduling conflict. The new additions join a star-studded cast, led by Oscar nominee Paul Mescal and two-time Oscar winner Denzel Washington, with “Stranger Things” breakout Joseph Quinn set to play Emperor Caracalla and Pedro Pascal in final negotiations for an undisclosed role.

EXCLUSIVE: Tye Sheridan is launching his new production company, Dogwood Pictures with its debut film, Black Flies, is set to play in competition at the 76th Annual Cannes Film Festival. Directed by Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire, the pic reunites Sheridan with Sean Penn after over a decade since Malick’s The Tree of Life. Sheridan first became involved with the film in 2018 and continued on throughout the film’s execution and release.

Sheridan Smith has shared a number of sweet posts to Instagram of her son Billy and pal Sandy Ryan. In the posts - shared to her Instagram grid and Instagram stories - Billy can be seen wearing boxer Sandy Ryan’s World Championship belt, and later messing around with the boxer. In one story shared to Instagram, giving fans a rare glimpse of three-year-old Billy, Sheridan - who was joined by her athlete pal WBO Welterweight winner Sandy - joked that the prize was a “bit heavy” for her son.

hefty price tag he was charging contributed to the show’s end.The blockbuster series that starred Kevin Costner, Luke Grimes, Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser is set to wrap with the second half of season 5 this summer after five years on the air.Sheridan, 52, known as one of Hollywood’s preeminent Western storytellers, has been charging the network a whopping $50,000 per week for his own show to film at his two sprawling ranch properties.Employees on the set were puzzled to learn that Paramount was paying a horse wrangler 1,600 miles away, according to the Wall Street Journal.Back in the show’s production offices in Stevensville, Montana, confusing expenses were piling up, including a time card requesting more than $3,000 from a wrangler named Barbara Stuart, the Journal reported on Friday.“I was surprised to see a timecard for a TX wrangler come through last week even though we are now shooting in Montana,” Mary Jasionowski, the show’s production controller, wrote to Ms. Stuart, who was also not known to the head of animal handling on set.“I am Taylor Sheridan’s wrangler,” Ms.

Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens said “I do” all over again.

Nicole Kidman and Zoe Saldaña star in Taylor Sheridan's upcoming espionage series, (formerly ), and Paramount+ has released official photos.Based on a real-life program, the series follows Cruz Manuelos (Laysla De Oliveira), a rough-around-the-edges but passionate young Marine recruited to join the Lioness Engagement Team to help bring down a terrorist organization from within.Saldaña plays Joe, the station chief of the Lioness program tasked with training, managing and leading her female undercover operatives. Kidman plays Kaitlyn Meade, the CIA’s senior supervisor who has had a long career of playing the politics game.Saldaña, Kidman and De Oliveira will be joined by Morgan Freeman in the cast, along with Dave Annable, Jill Wagner, LaMonica Garrett, James Jordan, Austin Hébert, Jonah Wharton, Stephanie Nur, Hannah Love Lanier and Michael Kelly. Saldaña and Kidman will also serve as executive producers, alongside Sheridan, David C. Glasser, Ron Burkle, Bob Yari, David Hutkin, Wagner, Geyer Kosinski, Michael Malone and John Hillcoat.was first announced in February 2022 with Saldaña tapped as the series lead.

Paramount+ has just debuted a first look at “Special Ops: Lioness”, also revealing the new title for the drama that had previously been titled simply “Lioness”.

Paramount+ has released first-look photos and an official title for Taylor Sheridan’s upcoming espionage thriller Special Ops: Lioness (fka Lioness), starring Nicole Kidman, Zoe Saldaña, Laysla De Oliveira and Morgan Freeman.

Frameline Film Festival will open with a screening of the Sofia Coppola-produced movie “Fairyland.” The 11-day, LGBTQ-focused festival will return to San Francisco and Oakland from June 14-24. “Fairyland” will be followed by the festival’s Oakland Centerpiece event, which will screen “Cora Bora” on June 15. Its Pride Kickoff screening will be of “God Save the Queens” on June 22.

The cast of the Gladiator sequel starring Paul Mescal is continuing to grow.

Angelique Jackson The cast of Ridley Scott’s upcoming “Gladiator” sequel continues to grow more star-studded, with Connie Nielsen and Joseph Quinn in talks to join Paul Mescal, Barry Keoghan and Denzel Washington in the film. The Paramount movie follows 2000’s blockbuster hit “Gladiator,” which was nominated for 12 Academy Awards and won five, including best picture. It earned $460 million at the box office. The film starred Russell Crowe as Maximus Decimus Meridius, a Roman soldier forced into slavery who vows revenge against Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix). Nielsen played Maximus’ lover Lucilla, a role which she’ll reprise in the sequel. Since Maximus dies at the end of “Gladiator,” the sequel is not centered around his character. Mescal is the focus and will play Lucius, the son of Maximus and Lucilla. Keoghan is in negotiations to play Emperor Geta, with Quinn set to join the project as Emperor Caracalla. Washington’s role is being kept under wraps.

collaboration with Brady, an organization empowering the creative community in the movement to end gun violence, over 200 writers, directors and producers, including J.J. Abrams, Judd Apatow and Damon Lindelof signed an open letter to “lead positive cultur[al] change by modeling firearm safety on-set.”And in collaboration with that several creatives of the film and television, including actors Adam Brody and Piper Perabo, are traveling to Washington D.C. to discuss the #ShowYourSafety initiative.